Ethics for the Fountain of Youth
David J. Hepworth
Brigham Young University
Ethics for the Fountain of Youth
Within a hundred years, unless we make some major research breakthroughs, you are going to die. Before then, you will get to watch many of the friends and family you love go through the process of decay, infirmity, and death. Witnessing this process over and over, we have accepted it as nature's way, but it is horrible, tragic, and heartbreaking.
We are currently governed by the “law of mortality,” which simply states that no matter who you are or where you live the chances of you dying double every eight years (Gavrilov, 1992). This doubling of our mortality rate is the result of accumulating damage generated by the process of sustaining our life (our metabolism). During youth, the damage is limited and does not affect our health and well-being but as we get older the damage starts to build up and our probability of dying from any given disease of ageing increases exponentially.
We certainly know how to decrease our mortality rate by using vaccines and antibiotics and by avoiding harmful behaviors, but unfortunately have nothing that can reduce our rate of mortality. This may help explain the fact that although the total numbers of centenarians (those living beyond 100 years) are increasing (Office for National Statistics, 2013), the numbers of super-centenarians (those living beyond 110 years) has remained constant.
Aging fosters sickness and disability, increases human suffering, and makes us more likely to die yet many argue against seeking out a cure for this disease. Some feel aging is natural and curing it would not only lead to overpopulation, but to diminished life fulfillment and to an unforese...
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...n order to alleviate and cure those who are suffering and in pain.
Because aging has been considered inevitable for so many millennia, people have dismissed it for the problem it is. Aging, like polio, is a disease, responsible for killing 100,000 people every single day and in the developed world, is responsible for 90 percent of all deaths ("Aging: Humanity's Biggest Problem"). Understanding and recognizing that aging is a curable disease allows us to see it as a problem that we can fix.
From a utilitarian point of view, finding a cure for aging should be a top priority because it is the leading cause of death and causes many social and economical problems worldwide. Curing aging would minimize the pains of death as well as alleviate many of the social and economical problems seen in the world. Thus, finding a cure for aging would help maximize overall happiness.
Mortality, the subject of death, has been a curious topic to scholars, writers, and the common man. Each with their own opinion and beliefs. My personal belief is that one should accept mortality for what it is and not go against it.
old age, is a risk or a benefit, and what is the true purpose of
As this movie vividly depicts, aging is part of life’s cycle and it isn’t something that happens to just one person. To be successful with this stage intertwines many people and several generations to come together and be involved. A smoother transition can occur if people put down their prejudices about aging, along with their nervous energy they feed each day, and just accept the new stage, and give help where help is needed with respect and
As we age, we become more prone to a wide array of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease and treating these diseases most definitely helps us live longer but they do not seem to halt the natural aging process that eventually causes our bodies to weaken and wither away. New research suggests that, like several biological processes, the aging process could also be controlled and this could lead us to live much longer lives. However, commoners and bioethicists alike are often concerned about the bioethical issues pertaining to the life extension phenomena. They argue that the quality of life may be compromised in exchange for longevity and this may be due to intervention in the
Common sense seems to dictate that we are all going to die one day. As we all get older we crave to keep our youth, and to stay young forever is the ultimate dream. The thought of a possible immortality is just an added benefit. Even though we have strived towards this goal for centuries, have we obtained advances in successfully staying young forever? In Bill Gifford’s book “Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying)” he explores these ideas of life and aging further. In this novel, he goes on a journey to try and debunk the mysteries and questions behind the new science of aging. He gathers information from tests and scientists from around the country to discover what really works to prevent or delay aging and what is just a hopeful hoax. He helps us figure out why we age and why aging
Studies about aging are relevant in today’s society because the aging process happens to everybody. Humans want to enjoy life with their family and friends and many look forward to their retirement so they can enjoy their time doing leisurely activities. Research on trying to find a cure for different cancers and slowing down the aging process is important if humans want to live a longer and more enjoyable life. By eating foods with antioxidants, exercising on a daily basis, challenging oneself with memory and critical thinking activities, avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, managing stress, and by surrounding oneself with a good support system can all contribute to a longer and happier lifespan.
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
The thought of aging is not void of hesitance given it produces questions deprived of answers in the absence of a crystal ball. Subsequently, aging parallels the unknown; thus, faced with uncertainty adopting a positive perspective remains elusive. Although, it’s preferred to view aging optimistically one cannot escape its negative connotations. Will I be an active agent or isolated burden remains a noteworthy unknown that enervates my optimism. Another consideration leading to my vacillating view on aging is, not knowing to what degree personal competencies and capacities will carry forward, thereby affording autonomy in the elder years. However, as research suggest, the aging process transforms healthy adults into frail ones; thus, dashing one’s hope that such traits will endure (Friis, 2010). Incidentally, at age 48, these lingering questions will soon be answered. In the interim, there is an inherent responsibility to prepare physically, psychologically, and financially for entry into the aging population. Ideally, the goal is to
There is an element of charm in the idea of saving kids from aging, kids will forever be kids. They won’t have the trouble of adulthood, the stress of a job, the worries of having a family. They
As American society has evolved in the past 100 years and technology has increased and improved, so has the life expectancy for individuals. Currently, females can expect to live for 81 years on average, while males can expect to live for 75 years, giving an average life expectancy of 78.3 years (Santrock, 2013, p.536). According to Santrock (2013), “since 1900, improvements in medicine, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle have increased our life expectancy an average of 30 additional years,” but another important factor is the decreasing infant mortality, allowing a larger population of people, including older adults (p.536). Making good choices in diet, regular exercise, avoiding drugs and alcohol, along with getting enough sleep and maintaining a low and healthy stress level can all increase life expectancy. Relationships, emotional well-being, and having purpose all also play an important role in determining how long an individual will live. As people are living longer, more ...
Today, disease can be detected much easier and can often be treated due to the advancements in medical technology. People with heart disease or cancer can now live longer after diagnosis. A result of the advances in medicine is that we live longer and death occurs more slowly and more frequently in older adults than in children. Older adults are more likely to experience the degeneration that accompanies disease and live for a long time with declining function.
“Do not try to live forever, you will not succeed” (George Bernard Shaw). Life has finite limits, no one can live forever, but, someone can make an impact in your life or in millions of people's’ lives. In today’s society, everyone is living to old age. They are staying healthier longer due to better basic development forces, such as biological, psychological, socioeconomic and life-cycle forces that interact in a complex way. Some people are not so lucky, as they might develop dementia, Alzheimer's or a different disease causing them to age faster in a way that they won’t be able to do some of the activities they have been doing. Physical attractiveness is threatening with old age. As you age, wrinkles will form, skin will lose its elasticity,
Centenarians are currently at the maximum peak of life longevity in the history of human life. Through the ages, the centenarian population worldwide has increased significantly. In the United States, there are currently 22 centenarians per 100,000 U.S. citizens, and rising (Hausman, 2011, p. 203-209). By 2050, there will be approximately 3.2 million centenarians around the world (Hausman, 2011, p. 203-209). With the increasing numbers, how is this achievable? Research and studies seek to find universal answers in the physiological, genetic and he...
Do you dream of living a long, healthy life? Fortunately, it is much easier to achieve this dream today, in a world that is more technologically and medically advanced than ever before. Because of these favorable advances, the life expectancies in most countries have increased. It is not enough, however, to solely rely on technology and medicine to increase your life expectancy. In order to make your dream a reality, you need to take a few additional steps. To improve your chances of living a long life, you should eat and drink healthy, have a consistent sleep routine, be physically and mentally active, reduce causes of stress and depression, avoid and/or quit smoking, and abstain from overindulgence.